League of Women Voters registers over 1,900 high school students across Palm Beach County

League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County/Courtesy

Pam Maldonado, chairwoman of the Voting Service Committee for the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, left, and Lori Dool, secondary social studies program planner at the school district, deliver 1,940 voter registration forms to Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher.

Pam Maldonado, chairwoman of the Voting Service Committee for the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, left, and Lori Dool, secondary social studies program planner at the school district, deliver 1,940 voter registration forms to Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. (League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County/Courtesy)

The campaign saw over 250 volunteers speaking with students in schools during their respective lunch hours, reminding them of the Oct. 9 registration deadline and the Nov. 6 election.

The number of new registrations from the campaign only represents a fraction of a percent of total voters in the county and the number of new voters by individual municipality was not available. Some elections, however, can be decided by a small number of voters — like this year’s race for Boca Raton City Council, which went from an exact tie to a difference of three votes and ultimately a margin of 19 after a recount.

It is not unusual for highly contested seats or ballot measures, primary election races or elections in municipalities with smaller populations like Loxahatchee Groves or Hypoluxo to be decided by a small number of votes. The Democratic primary race for governor of Florida this year saw Andrew Gillum defeat Gwen Graham by 702 votes.

“Our aim was to motivate young people to take the first step toward participating in the democratic process by registering to vote,” said Pam Maldonado, chairwoman of the Voting Service Committee for the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County. “After the close of registration on Oct. 9, the League will concentrate on educating citizens about their three options for voting: by mail, early voting and on Election Day.”

To register to vote or update your registration, visit RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov or go to a Florida driver’s license office, a tax collector's office that issues driver licenses or Florida identification cards or a voter registration agency such as a public assistance office or public library. You can also submit a paper voter registration application by mail or in person, according to the Florida Department of State.